1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a detection mechanism for a disk player for playing optical disks such as compact disks (CDs) and Digital Video Disks (DVDs).
2. Description of the Related Art
Personal computer systems have attained widespread use. A personal computer system can usually be defined as a desktop or portable microcomputer that includes a system unit having a system processor or central processing unit (CPU) with associated memory, a display panel, a keyboard, a hard disk storage device or other type of storage medium such as a floppy disk drive or a Compact Disk, Read-Only Memory (CD ROM) drive. These personal computer systems are information handling systems designed primarily to give independent computing power to a single user or group of users.
A portable computer is a self-contained personal computer easily moved and operated in various locations. Portable computers are typically laptop, notebook or subnotebook computers. To be portable, these computers are small, compact, and lightweight. The conventional portable computer generally includes a base portion and a moveable lid portion. The lid portion contains a flat panel display such as a liquid crystal display (LCD) or other relatively thin display. The base portion contains computer components including disk drives.
Many portable computers include Compact Disk (CD) or Digital Versatile Disk (DVD) drives. Compact Disks (CDs) and Digital Versatile Disk (DVDs) are popular because of the ability of a single disk to hold a large quantity of data. A CD is a nonmagnetic disk, typically 4.72 inches (12 centimeters) in diameter, and can store as much as 680 megabytes of data. The technology behind CDs and CD-ROM disks is optical technology. CD technology incorporates light waves to encode binary data later read by a photodetector, called a playback laser. The light waves generated by the laser beam burn microscopic pits into the surface of the CD. A low power laser reads the data on the CD by sensing the pits on the surface of the CD. The CD itself is a plastic material aluminized to create a reflective finish for optical purposes and laminated with a clear plastic for protection. Despite the protective coating on a CD, a scratch on a CD can prevent the disk from being read. Like a CD, a DVD is a nonmagnetic disk, also typically 4.72 inches in diameter. A DVD disk can store 4.3 gigabytes of data and requires a DVD drive that resembles a CD drive. Physically, a DVD disk is similar to a CD with the same concerns for scratching. Hereinafter, any references to CD or DVD disks or drives will be referred to jointly as xe2x80x9cCDxe2x80x9d disks and drives.
In order to include a CD drive on a portable computer, a computer typically includes a drive bay in the base portion or an external drive coupled to the computer. For those portable computers in which the CD drive is in the base portion of the computer, the drive design governs the handling of the CD as well as the mechanism for placing the CD into an optical assembly for reading. In many computers, the mechanism for the CD drive is a sliding drawer in which a micromotor or spring slides the drawer out, the CD is placed in the drawer, and then the drawer is pushed closed either by a motor or by pushing.
Portable computers that have a CD drive incorporated into the computer typically use the sliding drawer mechanism. Unlike desktop PC CD drives, the sliding drawer CD drives incorporated into a portable computer typically include a snap-on spindle to which the CD must be snapped before sliding the drawer into the drive. Space considerations cause the primary differences between desktop computer CD drives and portable computer CD drives. CD drives for portable computers typically must fit into a smaller area. For this reason, CD drives often incorporate the optical components into the sliding drawer that ejects from the computer. A problem with the snap feature on portable computers is misuse by the computer user. A user can improperly install a CD without fully snapping the CD onto the spindle. When this occurs, significant damage can result to both the CD and to the CD drive. The drive could experience read/write failures or the CD can become damaged if it comes into contact with stationary components located inside the CD drive or the computer system.
What is needed is a portable CD drive with a seating method and apparatus that detects proper seating of an installed CD.
Accordingly, an apparatus and method are presented that detect proper seating of a CD by incorporating a circuit into a spindle in one embodiment, or into a media tray in another embodiment.
According to an embodiment, the apparatus is incorporated into a media tray and includes a circuit and a spindle. The circuit is integral with the spindle, the spindle adapted to receive an inner edge of a circular medium defining an aperture in the center therewith, the receipt of the inner edge of the circular medium upon the spindle completing the circuit. The apparatus further includes a plurality of switches coupled to the outer circumference of the spindle and a tray with a circular medium receiving area mechanically and electrically coupled to the spindle and the circuit, with the plurality of switches engaged in operative relation to movable members coupled to the outer circumference of the spindle.
According to another embodiment, an apparatus is presented that detects proper seating of a CD. According to this embodiment, the apparatus is incorporated into a media tray and includes a circuit that is integral with the media tray. The receipt of the circular medium upon the tray completes electrical circuit. The apparatus includes a plurality of switches coupled to the receiving area of the media tray that engage in operative relation to movable members coupled to the receiving area of the media tray.
The inner edge of the circular medium activates the plurality of switches when the circular medium is flush with the receiving area and the inner edge of the circular medium maintains the plurality of switches in an inactive state when the circular medium is not flush with the receiving area. The activation of the plurality of switches completes the circuit.
According to another embodiment, a computer system is presented that includes a circuit integral with a spindle, the spindle adapted to receive an inner edge of a circular medium defining an aperture in the center therewith, the receipt of the inner edge of the circular medium upon the spindle completing the electrical circuit. The computer system includes a controller coupled to a circuit; an optical unit coupled to the circuit; and a servo controller coupled to the circuit, wherein the completion of the circuit transmits a signal to the optical unit, the servo controller and the controller, the signal preventing the spindle from rotating the circular medium.
According to another embodiment, a method for detecting a medium on a media tray is presented. The method includes providing a conductive element having a first terminal and a second terminal and forming an interrupted circuit between the first terminal and the second terminal, and providing a spindle structurally supporting and integral with the conductive element, the spindle adapted to receive an edge of the medium, the medium causing completion of a conductive pathway of the interrupted circuit between the first and second terminal when seated upon the spindle.